This version is based on the printed bill that was distributed in the Legislature after First Reading.
It is not the official version. If accuracy is critical, you can obtain a copy of the printed bill from Statutory Publications or view the online bilingual version (PDF).

WHEREAS the Government of Manitoba's French Language Services Policy recognizes six regions in the province in which there is a high degree of French language vitality, namely

(a) the Rural Municipality of Ellice,

(b) the Rural Municipality of Ste. Rose,

(c) the Rural Municipalities of Alexander and Victoria Beach as well as portions of the Rural Municipality of St. Clements,

(d) the Rural Municipalities of Lorne, Grey, Cartier, St. François Xavier and St. Laurent as well as portions of the Rural Municipalities of Woodlands, Portage la Prairie, Dufferin and South Norfolk,

(e) the Rural Municipalities of Piney, La Broquerie, Ste. Anne, Taché, Ritchot, De Salaberry and Montcalm as well as portions of the Rural Municipalities of Macdonald and Morris, and

(f) St. Boniface, St. Vital and St. Norbert in the City of Winnipeg;

AND WHEREAS it is desirable to have centres at which access to and delivery of a broad range of government programs and services in both French and English is provided through a single window approach, as recommended in the Chartier Report, Above All, Common Sense;

AND WHEREAS the bilingual service centres of Notre Dame de Lourdes, St. Laurent, St-Pierre-Jolys, Ste. Anne, St. Boniface and St. Vital have already been established in three of the six regions, being the three that are described in the Schedule;

THEREFORE HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, enacts as follows:

"bilingual service region" means a geographic area described in the Schedule. (« région de services bilingues »)

"minister" means the minister appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council to administer this Act. (« ministre »)

Interpretation

1(2) This Act must not be construed to limit access to and delivery of government programs and services in French and English outside a bilingual service region or a bilingual service centre.

Bilingual service centres

2(1) One or more bilingual service centres are to be maintained for each bilingual service region to provide access to and delivery of a broad range of government programs and services in a person's choice of either French or English.

(a) each government staff member who deals directly with the public is to be proficient in French and English and able to communicate with the public in the person's choice of either French or English;

(b) it is to be made known to the public through the taking of appropriate measures that access to and delivery of a broad range of government programs and services is available in either French or English at their choice, including measures such as

(i) providing signs, notices and other information about the programs and services, and

(ii) initiating communication with the public in both French and English; and

(c) the use of French is to be encouraged as the language of work.

Delivery in linguistically and culturally appropriate manner

2(3) The government programs and services delivered at a bilingual service centre are to be delivered in a linguistically and culturally appropriate manner taking into account the needs of the population, including the specific needs of the Métis population and immigrants, within the bilingual service region.

Co-location

3(1) Programs and services offered by other levels of government and community organizations may also be provided at a bilingual service centre.

Additional activities

3(2) The provision of outreach activities, and the operation of satellite service centres in a bilingual service region, may be facilitated through a bilingual service centre.

Regulation to amend Schedule

4(1) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may, by regulation, amend the Schedule to add one or more regions.

Factors to consider

4(2) When making a regulation under subsection (1), the Lieutenant Governor in Council may consider

(a) whether there is significant demand within a region for communication with the government in French and English at a bilingual service centre;

(b) the need for the advancement or revitalization of the use of French in the region, and the institutional vitality of the Francophone community there;

(c) the number of individuals in the region whose first language is French or who speak primarily French at home; and

(d) any other factor that the Lieutenant Governor in Council considers necessary or appropriate.

Public consultation

5 The minister may consult with the public about the bilingual service centres and the availability of programs and services in French and English at the centres.

Parcel 1: All those areas contained within the exterior boundaries of the Rural Municipalities of Piney, La Broquerie, Ste. Anne, Taché, Ritchot, De Salaberry and Montcalm.

Parcel 2: All that portion of the Rural Municipality of Macdonald contained within the following limits:

Commencing at the NE corner of 1-9-1 EPM, thence E'ly along the Northern limits of Sections 6, 5, 4, 3 and Frac. 2-9-2 EPM to the NE corner of said Frac. 2, thence S'ly along the Eastern limit of said Frac. 2 to the intersection with the Northern limit of 35-8-2 EPM, thence E'ly to the NE corner of said Section 35, thence S'ly along the Eastern limit of said Section 35 to the NE corner of 26-8-2 EPM, thence NE'ly and E'ly along the North Western and Northern limits of Frac. 36-8-2 EPM and Frac. 31-8-3 EPM to the NE corner of said Frac. 31, thence S'ly along the Eastern limits of Sections Frac. 31, 30, 19, Frac 18, 7 and 6-8-3 EPM to the intersection with the Northern limit of River Lot 623 Parish of Ste. Agathe, thence W'ly along the said Northern limit of River Lot 623 to the NE corner of

Frac. 31-7-3 EPM, thence S'ly along the Eastern limit of Frac. 31-7-3 EPM to the intersection with the Northern limit of River Lot 607 Parish of Ste. Agathe, thence W'ly along the Northern limits of said River Lot 607 and Sections 25, 26 and 27 -7-2 EPM to the NE corner of 28-7-2 EPM, thence N'ly along the Eastern limit of 33-7-2 EPM and Eastern limits of Sections 4, 9 and 16-8-2 EPM to the NE corner of said Section 16, thence W'ly along the Northern limits of Sections 16, 17 and 18-8-2 EPM to the NE corner of 13-8-1 EPM, thence N'ly along the Eastern limits of Sections 24, 25 and 36-8-1 EPM and Section 1-9-1 EPM to the point of commencement.

Parcel 3: All that portion of the Rural Municipality of Morris lying to the North of the following described line: Commencing at the NE corner of 36-5-1 EPM, thence E'ly along the Northern limits of Section 31-5-2 EPM, River Lots 431 and 432 Parish of Ste. Agathe, Sections Frac. 35 and 36-5-2 EPM to the NE corner of said 36 and which lies to the East of the following described line: Commencing at the NE corner of said 36-5-1 EPM, thence N'ly along the Eastern limits of Sections 1, 12, 13, 24, 25 and 36-6-1 EPM to the NE corner of said Section 36-6-1 EPM.

REGION 3:

All that portion of the City of Winnipeg contained within the following limits:

Commencing at the West limit of the Four Mile Road and the W'ly production of the South limit of Lot 70 of the Outer Two Miles of the Parish of St. Norbert; thence in a general North direction along the West and North limits of said Four Mile Road to the South limit of the Perimeter Highway Plan No. 6788 WLTO; thence in a general East direction along the South limit of said Plan 6788 WLTO to the West limit of the Two Mile Road at the North limit of Lot 94 of the Outer Two Miles of said Parish; thence in a general East direction along the South limit of Perimeter Highway Plan 7428 WLTO and the straight production E'ly of the South limit of said Perimeter Highway Plan 7428 WLTO to the centre of the Red River; thence N'ly along the sinuous centre thread of the Red River to the centre line of the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway Plan 770 WLTO; thence E'ly along said centre line and the straight production E'ly to the West limit of Archibald Street; thence in a general South direction along the West limits of said Archibald Street and its straight production South to the centre line of the main line of the Canadian National Railway Plan 7495 WLTO; thence E'ly along the centre line of the said Canadian National Railway Plan to the straight production North of the East limit of Lot 5 Plan 14363 WLTO; thence S'ly along said straight production and East limit of Lot 5 and its straight production South to the centre line of Springfield Road (now Dugald Road) Plan 433 WLTO; thence E'ly along the centre line of said Springfield Road (now Dugald Road) to the straight production N'ly of the most Western of the East limits of Block 10 Plan 13723 WLTO; thence in a general South and East direction along the said straight production of the most Western of the East limits of said Block 10 and the other East limit and North limit of said Block 10 to the straight production W'ly of the South limit of Parcel 5 Plan 9296 WLTO; thence E'ly along the South limit of said Parcel 5 and the straight productions West and East to the East limit of Plessis Road Plan 433 WLTO; thence S'ly along the East limits of said Plessis Road to the North limit of River Lot 122 of the Parish of St. Boniface; thence E'ly along the said North limit to the East limit of said River Lot 122; thence S'ly along the said East limit and the East limit of River Lot 121 of the said Parish to the South limit thereof; thence West along said South limit to the East limit of Plessis Road Plan 433 WLTO; thence South along said East limit to the straight production W'ly of the North limit of Frac. 8-10-4 EPM; thence E'ly along said production to the West limit of said Frac. Section 8; thence S'ly along the said West limit, its straight production S'ly and the West limit of 5-10-4 EPM and its straight production S'ly to the straight production E'ly of the North limit of 31-9-4 EPM; thence W'ly along the said production and North limit of said Section 31 to the North-West limit of the Greater Winnipeg Floodway Plan 12989 WLTO; thence SW'ly along the said North-West limit of the Floodway to the West limit of said Section 31; thence S'ly along the said West limit to the South limit of said Section 31; thence E'ly along the said South limit to the straight production N'ly of the West limit of Frac. 30-9-4 EPM; thence S'ly along the said production and West limit of Frac. Section 30 to the straight production E'ly of the South limit of Lot 180 in the Outer Two Miles of the Parish of St. Norbert; thence W'ly along the said production and South limit of said Lot 180 to the East limit of the Two Mile Road in the said Parish; thence S'ly and E'ly along the East and North limits of the said Two Mile Road to the straight production E'ly of the North limit of River Lot 189 of the Parish of St. Norbert; thence W'ly along said production and North limit of said River Lot 189 and its straight production W'ly to the centre of the Red

River; thence N'ly along the sinuous centre thread of the Red River to the straight production E'ly of the South limit of River Lot 70 of said Parish; thence W'ly along the said production and the South limits of Lot 70 in the Inner and Outer Two Miles of said Parish to the point of commencement.

Explanatory Note

This Bill requires bilingual service centres to be maintained in certain regions in Manitoba.

Three regions are described in the Schedule to the Bill. The Lieutenant Governor in Council may amend the Schedule to add more regions.

On coming into force, this Bill will apply to the following established bilingual service centres located in the regions described in the Schedule:

Notre Dame de Lourdes and St. Laurent — Region 1;

St-Pierre-Jolys and Ste. Anne — Region 2;

St. Boniface and St. Vital in the City of Winnipeg — Region 3.

Under this Bill, the minister is also required to make an annual report about the centres and the government's French language services.